52 hurt in multiple-vehicle pileup on I-75 in Florida

As many as 50 vehicles were involved in an accident on southbound I-75, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said.

Story highlights

Three people are in critical condition

The accident involves at least 46 vehicles, police say

There are no immediate reports of fatalities

Fifty-two people were hurt Friday in a pileup involving dozens of vehicles on an interstate highway on Florida's Gulf Coast, police said.

The accident, which occurred about 3:30 p.m., involved at least 46 vehicles in the southbound lanes of I-75 on the Manatee/Sarasota county line, said Lt. Chris Miller with the Florida Highway Patrol. Twenty-two people, three of them in critical condition, were taken to area hospitals, he said.

None of the injuries was considered life-threatening, he said. "Quite a few had minor injuries that didn't require transport," he said.

The incident occurred about the time an afternoon thunderstorm struck, he said. "Weather was a contributing factor."

The Sarasota County Fire Department said that 29 people were taken to hospitals.